Update: Car dieing on me, is it the alternator?

[easyc4]

My car hasn't been starting up teh best lately, and i got the battery checked and its fine, and i can hear the starter clicking. Right before my car ceased to start the car was very low on power adn the battery wasn't staying charged. Is it the alternator causing the battery to not stay charged and causing my car to not start. Also when i jumped it to drive it home, the car wouldn't stay under 1500 rpms, in fact when in nuertal it went upto 3500 rpm's, just makign sure that this si all an alternator related problem, or am i looking at some serious issues.

Update: I fixed the loose wire, but still the car wont start up, and now it wont even start up when i try to jump it. I hear a clicking everytime i turn the key, i know its the starter, but shouldn't the starter be doing more than just making a clicking sound?

[ August 23, 2004, 02:55 PM: Message edited by: easyc4 ]

[Fredless]

SES light going off?

The alternator could indirectly be causing your hard starting due to it not charging the battery. It sounds like a dead battery to me though or one thats going south.

But if it won't hold a charge, it could be the alternator as well. Take off your alternator and take a buddies car down to Autozone and have your alternator checked for free. If its throwing SES, have it scanned at AZ as well.

[CAMAROWIDBASS]

Double check the connections at the battery and the connection at the alt.

Make sure there is no rust.

[easyc4]

it is throwing an ses light, also the car when i ahd it started wont idle below 1500 rpms and the engine revs itself to 2k rpm's and then back down, and it does this continually.

[easyc4]

also my battery was just tested last week and they sad it was 100%

[Fredless]

Get it scanned and post the codes if they don't tell you what they mean, and go from there.

[easyc4]

ok, i figured it out, after i got my alternator fixed and it turned out to be jsut fine, i noticed the power wire running from teh alt to the bat wasn't connected to teh battery terminal anymore, somehow it worked its way out of it. Thanks for your help though guys. Also teh ses code only comes on when i go over 70 and then resets when the car is restarted.

Can i replace the 10 gauge wire coming from the alt with 8 gauge wire? is this safe to do?

[Razzer]

You can't hurt it by going to a larger wire size.